It's a fantastic game still, and I like pretty much everything about it. The only real issue I have is the awful way of looting. There is a TON of crap loot, and you spend way too much time fiddling with how to distribute it, unless you choose to ignore it altogether - which I don't want to. Also, the way ranged combat is handled with arrows being limited by quantity and how fast they're used is a hassle as well.

But beyond that, it's really a great party based CRPG with lots of depth and a decent challenge level. Having the more advanced BG2 scripts available helps a lot in terms of not having to constantly micromanage your characters. Only the thief/stealth aspect represents a problem.

In this modern world of level scaling and linear structures - it's a very refreshing experience to roam around at your own pace, building your party from the ground up until they're pretty bad-ass. I do so miss this aspect in most modern CRPGs

DArtagnan

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
In this modern world of level scaling and linear structures - it's a very refreshing experience to roam around at your own pace, building your party from the ground up until they're pretty bad-ass. I do so miss this aspect in most modern CRPGs

I was just playing the newest demo for Knights of the Chalice, and it kept making me think about BG and IWD, and how much I enjoyed them.

The only negative regarding BG 1&2 to me is how long they are. They're just too time consuming to replay as much as I'd like.

Just finished Gothic 3 - finally - with latest community patch (rebalanced, better AI etc). I had a quest bug when I first played it that did not report my killing Zuben correctly. Anyway, I didn't realise I'd actualy finished at the end! "Oh…that was it?" I played a fire mage this time…a lot easier than playing a fighter. In fact it became downright dull - except when I got pinned in a tight spot and couldn't fire of a spell without being interrupted. I'm still not sure how armour works…no matter how high the value I seemed to get smacked and spells interrupted. Overall it was fun, but def some mechanical issues
- I could destroy the entire population of a city while people patiently waited in line for me to kill them ("Next please!"). I did like the neat line of corpses though.
- I could still be hit (constantly) by low level critters when I had extremely high AC
- I could spam fireballs but a more powerful spell like flamewave was all but useless because it takes too damn long to &%#$#!!!ing well cast and is always &%$#$!ing interrupted! These spells should be fast, to get you out of spot when you're surrounded - surely?
- as a mage no fighter ever posed a danger if I could get any distance on them…even the mightiest of the mighty. And that was just with a lowly fireball! (Well, I've always preferred mages - bounding about in a dress etc - but that is a bit too much even for me ;-)
- never seemed to derive any benefit from magical resistance - even with Robe of Adanos. Magical staves spell defending 'shielding' also seemed useless. Looked cool though - until the fireball flew through it and exploded in your face!

I still think the atmosphere was great, and I liked the open world with all its perils (except boars and wolves…curse them!) I was amazed how much stuff I missed from my first play through, which I thought was fairly comprehensive.

1. Doom 3
Didn't finish it when it came out, intend to finish it now. I like the horror feeling of the game. After Doom 3 I'll continue with a few other horror shooters: Unreal, Fear. Also got to start on Prey, since they finally managed to finish the game.

2. Oblivion
First time I played (and finished) it, I didn't use any mods except for the mandatory landscape texture mods. This time I've installed Oscuro's overhaul, and I find the game more challenging and satisfying now, mainly because it addresses the issue I really didn't care for during my first play-through: enemy levelling. One thing I liked with Gothic 1 and 2 was that while you could go almost anywhere, most places you would not survive. Thus it felt like an achievement when I managed to kill the enemy which had me running again and again. Vanilla Oblivion, lacked that feature, Oscuro brought it back. (Ok, I know this is old news).

In other ways I play the game like I did. The game world is even more beautiful with new hardware. I spend a lot of time doing nothing, except wandering around in the woods. Using "forceweather 00038ef1 1" for that lovely permanent thunderstorm. I like rain and virtual thunder (not real life thunder due to it's association with lightning which can damage my hardware), I really do (I know I'm weird).

This time I've also created a more balanced character, where my main skills progress more uniformly, avoiding fast runners like "sneak" and "athletics" which rise in levels just by looking at the game. And I've chosen a couple of skills I will use as minors, so that I really have to practice to get better. Without using trainers. I think.

pibbur

Originally Posted by lghartveit
Doom 3
Didn't finish it when it came out, intend to finish it now. I like the horror feeling of the game. After Doom 3 I'll continue with a few other horror shooters: Unreal, Fear. Also got to start on Prey, since they finally managed to finish the game.

I really enjoyed Doom 3, and I think it deserved a better response than what it got from most people. It really has a great atmosphere, which is the most important thing to me in a first-person shooter. Prey wasn't bad, but it's probably my least favorite of the id Tech 4 games (Doom 3, Quake 4, Prey, Wolfenstein)

I couldn't finish DOOM 3 either. I got a bit of a way in, but the "BOO!" thing got really old after a while. Perhaps I should give it another spin one of these days. At least my rig ought to be able to run it properly by now…

All Prime Junta's talk about China has got me replaying my favorite city-builder, Emperor. I'm up to the Silk Road period and having a lot of trouble with the pesky Xioungniuo(sic) barbarians. The combat mechanics are abysmal. Trade and monument building are very well done, however, and salt mines, silkworm farms and fifty different kinds of religious entities to pacify and build shrines to keep you micromanaging in an obsessive compulsive's dream world.

Left4Dead is totally dead for me for once and for all, I should just uninstall it. Ive picked it up like 4 times in the last month or two trying to recapture the magic - it just aint there. I either have to totally immerse myself in it and be on top of it, or i flounder and just end up getting flogged by the enemy masses. Which equals morale bottoming out, quitting game. RIP L4D

Warhammer:Mark of Chaos's star is still shining brightly tho, fighting now thru the 3rd chapter of the campaign and having great fun. Now have a warrior priest in my retinue, have always liked the religous fanatics in warfare

Originally Posted by JDR13
I really enjoyed Doom 3, and I think it deserved a better response than what it got from most people. It really has a great atmosphere, which is the most important thing to me in a first-person shooter. Prey wasn't bad, but it's probably my least favorite of the id Tech 4 games (Doom 3, Quake 4, Prey, Wolfenstein)

I recently reinstalled DOOM 3 and played the few maps and the atmosphere was indeed amazing. Much creepier than F.E.A.R. 2. I can agree that it's sometimes a bit too dark, and you often had to kill a monster in pitch black darkness because you couldn't have your flashlight up at the same time, on the other hand, that gives a different game experience. The story isn't an oscar, but it's actually above average to first-person shooters. The System Shock-style audiologs worked well too. I thought that sometimes it was a bit stupid how monsters popped up from being hidden behind panels, which I also remember was a common criticizm.

Overall though, DOOM 3 is really a game that people should try out. You might have updated your hardware since the game came, meaning you can play it in a greater resolution.

-- Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. - John F Kennedy
An eye for an eye, and soon the whole world is blind. - Mahatma Gandhi
The world is my country. To do good is my religion. My mind is my own church. This simple creed is all we need to enjoy peace on earth. - Thomas Paine

Originally Posted by JemyM
…
2. I can agree that it's sometimes a bit too dark, and you often had to kill a monster in pitch black darkness because you couldn't have your flashlight up at the same time…

I judge the game based on how it's published, or how it's intended to be played by the developers. The ducttape mod is actually a cheat, it makes a major change to the product in the box. Compare this with the Oblivion, the "world level with you" design was poor, despite fanmods to "fix" it.

That said, the flashlight didn't bother me when I first played the game. I really liked the amazing new gameplay in which darkness played a role. That had never been done before. Now after games like Condemned and F.E.A.R. I am actually more bothered about it.

-- Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. - John F Kennedy
An eye for an eye, and soon the whole world is blind. - Mahatma Gandhi
The world is my country. To do good is my religion. My mind is my own church. This simple creed is all we need to enjoy peace on earth. - Thomas Paine